Table 1.

Cancer characteristics and stress-growth responses.

Cancer characteristics/responses	Stress-Trauma response (negative changes)	Growth response (positive changes)
Internal source (body)	Body hypervigilance and alert (health anxiety).	Self-care and adoption of healthy lifestyles.
Future perception of threat	Feeling of limited future.	Change of life priorities and greater appreciation for life.
Permanent, undefined threat (complexity)	Ongoing threat, existential trouble and Sword of Damocles syndrome.	Maintenance of structural identity changes.
Perceived control	Guilt and shame.	Responsibility and involvement in the process (adherence to treatment).
Invalidating sequels	Incomprehension, loneliness, alienation.	Need for others, gratitude, closeness and openness.